Nuggets-Lakers Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTOPosted Nov 30 2012 3:11AM

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers needed seven games to eliminate the Denver Nuggets from the playoffs last season.

Getting a victory in their first meeting since will likely require a much better shooting performance, especially from the free throw line.

Bryant and the Lakers will try to rebound from the team's worst effort of the season Friday night against the Nuggets.

Los Angeles (7-8) dumped Denver (8-8) out of the opening round of last spring's postseason, winning 96-87 in Game 7 at Staples Center as Bryant averaged 29.1 points in the series.

The superstar guard isn't far off that pace this season, leading the NBA with 27.7 points per game. He's averaging 31.8 over the past four games, but the Lakers have dropped three of them to fall to 2-3 under coach Mike D'Antoni.

They failed to capitalize on another big night by Bryant in Wednesday's 79-77 home loss to Indiana, giving up the decisive basket with 0.1 seconds to play. Bryant overcame the flu to pour in 40 points, but he committed 10 turnovers while Los Angeles shot a season-low 31.6 percent from the field and missed 20 of 43 from the line.

"It was just a tough game for us, because we didn't make shots," Bryant said. "On top of that, we didn't make free throws. I've got to minimize my mistakes. Ten turnovers is way too many for me, so I have to work on perfecting that and bringing that down. I just felt like I played to the crowd too much."

Perhaps hosting Denver can provide a spark for the Lakers. They've won 32 of the past 38 meetings there, including a 25-4 record while averaging 109.7 points during the regular season.

Bryant has 29.5 points per contest over the past 25 overall matchups.

He could use some help from Dwight Howard, who is averaging 11.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while hitting only 14 of 31 free throws over the last four games. The All-Star center showed signs of ending his funk Wednesday with 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, but he made just 3 of 12 from the foul line.

"It's been a tough stretch for us early in the season," Howard said. "We can't lose our faith. We'll find a rhythm and we'll get in a groove, but we can't let what we're going through get us down right now."

Howard is averaging 17.1 points and 13.7 boards in 14 career games versus the Nuggets.

Denver is trying to salvage a win in the finale of this three-game road trip, but the team may feel it should be looking for a winning record.

"If I put a stopwatch on ... it seems like the clock started early for me," Karl said. "There's nothing to argue about. The camera says it's in his hands."

Iguodala, who finished with 22 points, leads Denver with 15.7 per game and is shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range. The swingman is averaging 17.3 points in six road meetings with the Lakers despite shooting 3 for 19 from beyond the arc.

Danilo Gallinari, who contributed 20 points and nine rebounds Thursday, may be looking to redeem himself in this visit to Staples Center after making just 1 of 9 shots from the floor to finish with three points in Game 7. The forward finished the series averaging 13.4 points on 36.2 percent shooting while making only 4 of 23 from long range.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Lakers hit 17 3-pointers, win 122-103 over Denver

By GREG BEACHAMPosted Dec 01 2012 2:22AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) By the time Dwight Howard stepped back and oh-so-coolly hit just the second 3-pointer of his entire career in the closing seconds, it didn't even seem weird to the Los Angeles Lakers.

With so many unlikely numbers in improbable places on that bulging scoresheet, what was one last long-distance shot for a team that finally discovered its elusive rhythm?

Antawn Jamison scored 33 points while leading an outstanding game by the Lakers' reserves, and Howard had 28 points and 20 rebounds before hitting Los Angeles' 17th 3-pointer to close a 122-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

Jodie Meeks scored 21 points on a career high-tying seven 3-pointers for the Lakers, who improved to 3-3 under Mike D'Antoni while playing at the furious tempo favored by their new coach.

After managing just 77 points against Indiana three nights earlier in their third loss in four games, the Lakers' dazzling offensive display suggested D'Antoni is making progress after all.

"It's the way we want to play," D'Antoni said. "We've got a lot of talent out there, and it's got to mesh, and the ball has got to move. ... So many guys had good games. I just thought the ball was moving better - just a lot of good things happening."

Kobe Bryant had 14 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who moved the ball to the tune of 33 assists while making 54 percent of their shots. They also tied the club record for 3-pointers in a regulation game, getting five from Jamison in the first 30-point game by a Lakers reserve since Shaquille O'Neal did it in 1998.

Jamison, the high-scoring veteran who signed with Los Angeles for a shot at a title, found the shooting stroke he has lacked for much of the season so far, going 13 for 19 and grabbing 12 rebounds while taking more shots than Bryant or Howard.

"Give me some minutes, and I can make something happen," Jamison said. "I was just able to feed off those guys looking for me. Once I do that, I get into a rhythm, and from there, they don't know what to do."

The Lakers' bench has been unimpressive for two straight seasons, but Jamison and Meeks shot exceptionally well against Denver, while Chris Duhon had a strong playmaking game with eight assists and five points.

After the Lakers' reserves managed just five points in that ugly loss to the Pacers, they produced 61 points against Denver.

Meeks and Jamison talked before the game about their meager production this season, noting neither had played a particularly strong game at home.

"I had some big games in college, but not too many games where I only missed two shots," said Meeks, who went 7 for 9 overall and missed just one of his eight 3-point attempts. "I think everybody is more confident now. We're at .500, so we've got to get over .500 and keep rolling."

Danilo Gallinari scored 19 points and Andre Iguodala added 14 for the Nuggets, who lost three times on their three-game trip.

"After we saw what happened to them in that Indiana game, as coaches, we said: `Wow, now we've got to play them after they played so poorly against Indiana,"' Denver coach George Karl said. "I thought we fought up to a degree, but when they got it back up to 20, our gas tank was pretty empty."

Los Angeles led 71-57 at halftime, making 60 percent of its shots in an impressive stretch of offensive basketball.

Howard controlled the first quarter with 16 points and five rebounds, while Meeks put on a shooting clinic in the second quarter, draining his first five 3-point attempts to match his highest-scoring game in his first season with Los Angeles.

"You know they're an up-tempo team, so we had to come out with energy, but we just didn't match their energy," said Andre Miller, who had 10 points. "Their bench had a good game and did what they were supposed to do. They hit a lot of 3-pointers and just took off from there."

Jamison and Meeks led a strong start to the fourth quarter while three Lakers starters rested. Jamison hit the Lakers' 16th 3-pointer with 6:51 to play, and the Lakers rolled to the win capped by Howard's improbable 3.

"He shoots as many 3's after practice as a lot of us, and he's confident," Jamison said. "You know Dwight. He's going to take it."

The clubs met for the first time since the Lakers eliminated Denver in the first round of last season's playoffs despite a lively effort by the Nuggets, who fought off elimination twice before Los Angeles won a thrilling Game 7 at home.

NOTES: Jamison and Meeks were the first Lakers reserves to score 20 points apiece since Bryant and Nick Van Exel did it in April 1998. ... The Lakers finish their final multigame homestand before Christmas against Orlando on Sunday night. Los Angeles will have played 12 of its first 17 games at Staples Center, plowing through more than a quarter of their entire home schedule in the season's opening five weeks, before playing nine of its next 12 on the road. ... Mark Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea and Chad Smith attended the game.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Lakers 122, Nuggets 103

THE FACTS: The Lakers found their rhythm Friday night, played at a pace coach Mike D'Antoni envisioned when he was hired three weeks ago and received contributions from much more than just Kobe Bryant. All that and a franchise-record tying 17 3-pointers added up to an impressive 122-103 victory against the visiting Nuggets at Staples Center.

THE STAT: After getting just five points from their bench and 40 from Bryant in a 79-77 loss Tuesday against visiting Indiana, the Lakers received 61 points from their reserves against Denver and 14 from Bryant. Antawn Jamison scored a season-high 33 points and Jodie Meeks tied his career high with seven 3-pointers en route to scoring a season-high 21. The last time an L.A. reserve scored at least 30 points and two had at least 20 was in 1998.

QUOTABLE: "Give me some minutes and I can make things happen." -- Antawn Jamison.

TURNING POINT: After trailing by as many as 14 points during the first half, Denver closed to seven on a basket by Kenneth Faried with 7:03 remaining in the third quarter. After starting point guard Darius Morris missed a driving layup and Pau Gasol couldn't put away his tip shot, D'Antoni subbed Jamison for Gasol and Chris Duhon for Morris. Jamison responded by scoring 10 points in the final five minutes of the quarter and Duhon had five to push the lead to 15 heading into the fourth. The Nuggets never got back within single digits.

HOT: Meeks, acquired from the 76ers over the summer because of his ability to hit 3-pointers, was 5 for 22 from beyond the arc through his first nine appearances. He made up for lost time the last five games, shooting 15-for-27 from 3-point range, including 7 for 8 against the Nuggets. Jamison wasn't bad either, shooting 13-for-19 in the game, including 5 for 10 from long range.

NOT: After a torrid start to the season, Bryant appears to be settling back down to earth. He shot 5-for-15 against the Nuggets, putting him at 17 for 43 the last two games (39.5 percent). Prior to that stretch, he was shooting 52.1 percent through the first 14 games. He never shot better than 47 percent from the floor in any of his previous 16 seasons.

GOOD MOVE: D'Antoni replaced Gasol with Jamison midway through the first quarter as well. That helped space the floor and gave Lakers center Dwight Howard more room to work in the post. He responded by scoring 16 of his 28 points in the opening quarter. Gasol was then able to start the second quarter at center and give the second unit some added punch and playmaking abilities. Gasol finished with six points, seven rebounds and tied Bryant and Duhon with a team-high eight assists.

BAD MOVE: In the closing minutes of the first half, Gasol turned the ball over in the offensive end and Andre Iguodala sped off on a breakaway. He rose for an uncontested dunk but slammed the ball off the back of the rim instead. Fortunately for the Nuggets, none of the Lakers trailed Iguodala on the play and he was able to retrieve the basketball near the free-throw line. The Lakers fouled Iguodala before he could get off another shot. He went to the line, where he made one of two to trim the deficit to 61-53.

QUOTABLE II: "They can spread the floor, they're smart. ... They're not so bad defensively because you have Dwight in the back." -- D'Antoni on Jamison and Meeks.

NOTABLE: The Lakers came into the game 2-7 this season Bryant scored less than 25 points...The Lakers haven't allowed a 25-point scorer in the last 14 games, which is the longest streak in franchise history in the post-shot clock era. ... Howard made a 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining in the game, improving to 2-for-34 in his career from that range. The basket also tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers in a game. Howard's other 3 came during the 2006-07 season